{"id":311,"date":"2018-08-14T11:11:10","date_gmt":"2018-08-14T11:11:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/?p=311"},"modified":"2025-05-22T13:44:59","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T11:44:59","slug":"what-is-digital-marketing-exactly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/digital-marketing-blog\/what-is-digital-marketing-exactly\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Digital Marketing Exactly?"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_3-1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-image align_center\"><div class=\"w-image-h\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"465\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Digital-School-of-Marketing-Why-Use-Us-e1537353450268.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"DSM Digital School of Marketing\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Digital-School-of-Marketing-Why-Use-Us-e1537353450268.jpg 620w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Digital-School-of-Marketing-Why-Use-Us-e1537353450268-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Digital-School-of-Marketing-Why-Use-Us-e1537353450268-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/Digital-School-of-Marketing-Why-Use-Us-e1537353450268-267x200.jpg 267w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p>When you think about digital marketing do you ever ask yourself, what is <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/digital-marketing\/\">digital marketing<\/a> and what does it mean? Don\u2019t worry! This article will answer these questions and give you clarity on what digital marketing is.<\/p>\n<h2>What digital marketing is all about<\/h2>\n<p>Digital marketing encompasses of your online marketing efforts, for example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Google search,<\/li>\n<li>Social media,<\/li>\n<li>E-mail marketing, and<\/li>\n<li>Your company website.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>People now spend twice as much time online than they used to several years ago. Offline marketing is not as effective as it used to be.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Marketing is about connecting with your audience in the right place at the right time<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This means that you have to meet them where they are already spending much of their time: on the Internet. Digital marketing is a form of marketing that occurs online through tactics and assets. You may be asking yourself what we mean by assets and tactics? Let\u2019s break it down.<\/p>\n<p>Assets are platforms that you own or control where potential customers can interact with you. Examples of assets are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your website,<\/li>\n<li>Blog posts,<\/li>\n<li>E-Books and whitepapers,<\/li>\n<li>Infographics,<\/li>\n<li>Interactive tools,<\/li>\n<li>Your pages on social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, etc.),<\/li>\n<li>Earned online coverage (PR, social media and reviews),<\/li>\n<li>Online brochures and catalogues, and<\/li>\n<li>Branding assets (logos, fonts, etc.).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Digital marketing tactics are certain ways to get people interested in you and interact with your assets. There are different tactics digital marketers use and we will explain each one:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Search Engine Optimisation is the process of optimising a website to \u2018rank\u2019 higher in search engine results pages. This means that it will increase the amount of organic (or free) traffic that your website receives.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>Content Marketing<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This involves creating and promoting content assets to create brand awareness, traffic growth, lead generation or customers.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>Inbound Marketing<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Inbound marketing involves a \u2018full-funnel\u2019 approach to attaining, converting, closing and appreciating customers using online content.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>Social Media Marketing<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Social media marketing is the practice of promoting your brand and content on the various social media channels to increase brand awareness, drive traffic and generate leads for your business.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>Pay-Per-Click (PPC)<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s a method of driving traffic to your website by paying the website owner \u2013 on whose site your ad is published &#8211; each time your ad is clicked. The most common types of PPC is Google AdWords.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>Affiliate Marketing<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Affiliate marketing is a method of performance-based advertising where you receive commission for promoting somebody else\u2019s products\/services on your website.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>Native Advertising<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Advertisements that are solely content-led are featured on a platform alongside other non-paid content. An example is BuzzFeed sponsored posts but many people also think that social media advertising is \u2018native\u2019 e.g.: Facebook advertising and Instagram advertising.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>Marketing Automation<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This refers to software which has the goal of automating marketing actions. Numerous marketing departments have to automate monotonous tasks like e-mails, social media and other website actions.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>E-mail Marketing<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Companies use e-mail marketing as a form of communicating with their audiences. E-mails are often used to promote content, discounts and events, and to direct people to the company\u2019s website.<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><strong>Online PR<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s the practice of securing earned online coverage with digital publications, blogs and many other content-based websites. Online PR is very much like traditional PR in an online space.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>Can digital marketing <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/in-the-press\/win-with-bona-magazine-and-the-digital-school-of-marketing\/\">work<\/a> for all businesses? <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Yes it can, regardless of whatever industry you in and what your company sells. Digital marketing involves building out buyer personas to identify your audience\u2019s needs and generating valuable online content. However, all businesses don\u2019t need to implement their digital marketing strategy in the same way. If you want to learn more about digital marketing and how it can help you in your business, <a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/\">visit the Digital School of Marketing\u2019s home page<\/a> to check out our wide range of courses!<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/contact-us\/\">Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/courses\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-759 size-shop_single\" src=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/DSM_Footer04-600x96.jpg\" alt=\"DSM Digital School of Marketing Digital Marketing course registration\" width=\"600\" height=\"96\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper align_justify\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_2\" href=\"#enquiry\"><span class=\"w-btn-label\">Enquire Today<\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">Blog Categories<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"wpb_text_column us_custom_5cd26a65\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><ul>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-1\"><a href=\"\/blog\/content-marketing\/\">Content Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/digital-marketing\/\">Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/cyber-security-blog\/\">Cyber Security<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/blog\/graphic-design-blog\/\">Graphic Design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-3\"><a href=\"\/blog\/public-relations\/\">Public Relations<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-4\"><a href=\"\/blog\/seo\/\">SEO<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/blog\/social-media-marketing\/\">Social Media Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/blog\/web-design-blog\/\">Web Design<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">You might also like<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"w-html\"><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/social-media-marketing-blog\/zero-moment-of-truth-benefit-social-media-marketing\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Use the Zero Moment of Truth to Benefit your Social Media Marketing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/digital-marketing-blog\/your-complete-guide-to-ppc-marketing-basic\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Your Complete Guide to PPC Marketing Basics. Find out more.<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/blog\/you-can-convey-a-lot-of-meaning-with-just-one-graphic\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">You Can Convey a Lot Of Meaning With Just One Graphic<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/digital-marketing-blog\/would-you-make-a-great-marketing-manager\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Would you make a great marketing manager?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/in-the-press\/win-with-bona-magazine-and-the-digital-school-of-marketing\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Win with Bona Magazine and the Digital School of Marketing<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/in-the-press\/win-a-digital-marketing-course-valued-at-r12-000\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Win a Digital Marketing Course Valued at  R12 000<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><h3 class=\"w-text us_custom_6caa4608 has_text_color\"><span class=\"w-text-h\"><span class=\"w-text-value\">Top Selling COurses<\/span><\/span><\/h3><div class=\"wpb_text_column us_custom_5cd26a65\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><ul>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-1\"><a href=\"\/courses\/digital-marketing-course\/\">Intermediate Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-2\"><a href=\"\/courses\/advanced-digital-marketing-course\/\">Advanced Digital Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-3\"><a href=\"\/courses\/social-media-marketing-course\/\">Intermediate Social media marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-4\"><a href=\"\/courses\/digital-brand-management-course\/\">Brand Management<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-5\"><a href=\"\/courses\/graphic-design-course\/\">Basic Graphic Design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-6\"><a href=\"\/courses\/advanced-graphic-design-course\/\">Advanced Graphic design<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-7\"><a href=\"\/courses\/national-certificate-of-advertising\/\">National Certificate of Advertising<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"cat-item cat-item-8\"><a href=\"\/courses\/national-diploma-of-copywriting-course\/\">National Diploma of Copyrighting<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_medium\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row via_grid cols_1 laptops-cols_inherit tablets-cols_inherit mobiles-cols_1 valign_top type_default stacking_default\"><div class=\"wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"w-video align_none ratio_16x9 has_iframe\"><div class=\"w-video-h\"><iframe title=\"Youtube video player\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JoEwCXKahVc?autoplay=0&controls=1&origin=https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za&loop=0&mute=0\" allowfullscreen=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/div><div class=\"w-video-icon\" style=\"font-size:1.5rem;background:rgba(0,0,0,0.5);color:#fff\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":84,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[262],"tags":[17,130],"class_list":["post-311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-marketing-blog","tag-digital-marketing","tag-digital-marketing-skills"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=311"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23510,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311\/revisions\/23510"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}